Fighting Instinct
by ladyofwater
Summary: MA. Max and Alec fight alot. But are they fighting each other, or their own instincts? Rated for Language and Sexual Content.
1. Chpt 1: Fury

_A/N: I've been reading a lot of Dark Angel fan fiction lately. I'm a Supernatural Fan, so of course I prefer Alec to Logan when it comes to romance (Wheels has absolutely NO sex appeal), but I noticed something off with a lot of the storylines. I liked the stories, but if Max and Alec ever did become involved, it wouldn't be tame or romantic, and it definitely wouldn't be premeditated. This is one instance where hot, sweaty smut would almost be in character for those two. Heh, heh, heh…_

Biggs stood transfixed at the sight of his friend in front of him.

Sweat glistened over his tan muscles as he relentlessly punched the bag before him. Alec's smoldering green eyes were set in a look his best friend had never seen before: a mix of fury and forced concentration. Biggs slowly exited the room, unnoticed. He sighed and shook his head as he walked down the hall.

He didn't need to ask to know what was bothering Alec, anyone in Terminal City could have told him.

Max and Alec had never gotten along very well. Biggs snorted to himself. What an understatement! The day Max smiled at Alec was the day he had a tea party with Ames White. The problem was: now that Max and Alec were running TC together, they couldn't avoid each other when they needed to cool off. Alec usually took everything Max dished out with a grain of salt, but over the past month it had been grating even his steel like nerves down. And with what had happened this morning – Biggs shook his head.

The CO's routine 0800 meeting had been in full swing. Max had asked Alec about some information on a supply run, to witch he had answered dutifully. He made the mistake of calling her Maxie, and all hell had broken loose. Max had snapped, and proceeded to re-apply every demeaning insult she had ever given him. Biggs had seen the tale tell twitch on Alec's eyebrow, but was helpless to stop the systematic eruption of Alec's rarely seen temper. Some of the things he had said had made even Biggs blush, and he doubted he'd get the mental voice of Alec calling Max a, "sexually catatonic, hypocritical, frigid, controlling, queen bitch!" and the several ways she could proceed to rid herself of her self-imposed chastity.

Max had instantly deflated and just stood there with her mouth hanging open. But before she could get her anger back to DEFCON one, Alec had already left HQ. He had probably been at that punching bag since then.

Alec and Biggs had found the small room in an uninhabited section of TC. There was already a public training room, but Alec had snuck in some equipment so that the two X-5's could train in peace when they needed it. Sometimes, you just weren't in the mood to watch a bunch of teenaged X-6's taking up your equipment.

Biggs sighed as he headed to the crowded gym. He knew Alec needed some alone time to cool off, but he wasn't looking forward to being challenged to a sparing match by some cocky X-6. He stopped at the door to the fitness area and stared dismally at the crowded room.

"BIGGS!"

Every single person in the room flinched as their fearless leader zeroed in for the kill. Biggs rolled his eyes heavenward. _Why me?_

Max walked up until she was standing in the border of Biggs' personal space. Her fists were clenched at her hips, and her chocolate eyes crackled like dynamite. Biggs found himself backing up a step.

"Hey Max," he said nervously, "don't look at me like that, I didn't do anything!"

Max's eyes narrowed as she visibly bristled. Her teeth grated. Biggs felt like he was being burned alive.

"Alec," she bit out.

She wanted to know where Alec was. Biggs contemplated lying for a twenty-fifth of a second before deciding to save his own hide.

"Building C, second floor," he confessed quickly. He chanced a glance into the gym and noticed that not a single person seemed to be angry with him for giving up 494's location. Biggs turned back to look at Max, only to find the large double doors at the end of the hall swinging shut.

XxXxXx

Alec swung with his right hand, hooked left, jabbed twice with his right, then jumped up to execute a perfect spin-back kick to the now battered bag.

Stupid Max!

He'd made mistakes, sure. Everyone did. Not everyone tried to make up for said mistakes however, but Max didn't seem to care. Sometimes he wished that he could forget that he owed her his life and leave this hellhole. Run from her condescending looks and biting remarks and disappear in the world. But he couldn't. She'd saved his ass so many times; it would take him three lifetimes to break even. And she wouldn't let him forget, not ever. He'd never redeem himself; he'd always just be a pothole on the road of her otherwise _perfect_ life.

There was a tearing sound, and then it was like someone set off the sprinklers. Pulled from his introspective rant, Alec's hazel eyes focus on the falling sand as it quickly covered his shoe. He'd broken the punching bag.

"Oops."

Out of his groove for a moment, Alec just stared blankly at the bag. He didn't even notice someone enter the room until the hairs on the back of his neck stood up from the invasion of his personal space. He turned to meet the intruder –

- And was promptly punched in the face.

"- the hell!"

It took him three seconds to recognize Max, and another one to notice that her pissed off meter seemed to be one notch higher than he'd ever seen before.

"You rotten bastard," she seethed, "how DARE you talk to me like that in front of everyone-"

The sound of skin hitting skin seemed strangely gratifying to Alec as he punched Max square in the face. Alec had had enough.

"Sorry Maxie," he said, smirking coldly as her eyes widened in shock, "you don't get anymore freebees. I've had it with being your pincushion. From now on, I'm going to return everything you dish out."

Max, it seemed was a little slow on the uptake. It took her five seconds to get over the fact that sweet-talking Alec had just punched her in the face, and another three to take in what he'd just said.

Alec had hit her. That bastard had punched her in the face, and then had the audacity to say he wasn't going to _allow_ her to treat him badly anymore. Max seethed. After everything he'd done to make her life miserable, he _deserved_ whatever punishments she gave him. Red-hot rage filled her vision, and without really thinking, she launched herself at her enemy.

Alec easily dodged Max's wild swings. Her anger was hindering her fighting. His smile grew sinister. He had learned how to harness his rage long ago. To anyone watching, it would have looked like a student was sparring their master.

Max's head cleared as she realized she wasn't landing any blows. As he moved to block another punch, she suddenly grabbed his arm and twisted. Taken by surprise, Alec lowered his guard only to be kicked in the stomach moments later. He hit the wall with a thud, cracking the drywall. Max smirked at him.

"Return what I dish out, huh? You and what army?"

There was a beat, and then Alec was back in the game, this time attacking. Max could barely keep up. Alec had eleven years of training on her, why hadn't it occurred to her until now that he might be the better fighter?

Two minutes and thirty-six seconds later, Max found herself forcibly pinned to the wall Alec had cracked only moments before. She struggled for a moment, but Alec only pressed his weight on her further, making it hard for her to breath. She stared insolently into his ice-cold eyes, wishing very much that she could kill him right now. Alec growled at her, and she suppressed instinct to flinch.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Max?! I work my ass off, I nearly get myself killed for your damn causes, and the only thanks I get is you telling me daily that I'm scum."

"You are!" she yelled back. "After all the shit you've done Alec, how am I supposed to know you're doing your job and not going off to do something stupid! How do I know you're not going to try and kill me again when it's convenient – "

"Aargh!" Alec roared, and he punched his fist through the wall beside Max's head. "That was over a year ago! I can't believe I've been trying to get into your good graces since then! Its probably never going to happen, maybe I should leave – "

"Go ahead!" She screamed back, straining at his restraints. "Skirting your responsibilities seems to be the only thing you're good at besides ruining my life –"

"When have I ever _tried_ to ruin your life?!"

"You stopped me from getting the cure!"

"I don't believe this –"

"You're always ruining things for me –"

"You don't give me an ounce of respect-"

"Needing to be rescued-"

"Physically abusing –"

"Sociopathic man-whore-"

"And you never shut up-"

"Nothing but a pain in my –"

Alec's lips crushed against hers, and she swore the world had flipped upside down for a moment. The heat and energy that they'd been using to fight against each other moments before seemed to channel perfectly into the physical contact of the kiss. Max belatedly noticed she was already responding to him, their tongues dancing and stroking a fire neither had realized was there before.

Alec released her hands to grab hold of her head. Max reacted instinctually to this new freedom by wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him as close as possible. Alec's hands traveled to her waist. He massaged her hips as she threaded her fingers in his hair. Max mewled in pleasure, causing Alec to growl lowly in reply.

The sudden release of pressure and cool air caused Max's eyes to snap open soberly. Alec had forcibly pushed himself away, out of arm's length. He stared at her in confusion.

"What the –" he breathed. Max was similarly confused. Exactly how had they gone from trying to kill each other to kissing without missing a beat? Heart hammering wildly in her chest, Max tried to summon the righteous anger she knew she should feel, and failed.

All of a sudden, she couldn't have been mad at Alec if she had tried. Was that the reason she had always been instinctually pissed at him? Had her body wanted him all along? The fire she had been using to fuel her anger had pooled down below her belly, and she suppressed a groan of need as desire shot through her.

Alec started to panic when Max didn't say a word. His length was throbbing, and it felt like he might explode if he didn't do anything about it NOW. But making a move at Max like that again could get him permanently castrated. Maybe he was better off with a cold shower. His hesitant step back brought her back to the world of the living.

Before she knew what she was doing, Max launched herself at Alec, her arms once again catching his neck. Alec resisted for a half a second, before giving in completely. Growling as his control died and his instincts took over; he grabbed her ass roughly in both hands and lifted her up.

Automatically, Max wrapped her legs around his waist, and he groaned as her heated core rubbed against him.

Max found herself against the wall for the second time that day as Alec used the leverage to grind against her. The sensation sent shocks through Max. She arched her back, breaking the kiss to gasp. Alec took the opportunity to rip Max's shirt over her head. Task done, he attacked her exposed neck. Max kept her head back, even as she tugged at Alec's shirt.

Baring one's neck was a sign of submission in the animal kingdom, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Alec's barely sentient brain. He growled his approval, the vibrations causing waves of pleasure to crash through Max. She moaned in pleasure.

Disconnecting from her neck, Alec ripped his own shirt over his head, tore Max's bra off, and then hoisted her up higher so that he could latch onto a nipple. Max's body writhed in pleasure.

Suddenly, Alec was putting her down. Max felt a few moments of disappointment and a little panic before her addled brain realized that Alec was unzipping her pants. He pushed both pants and underwear to the floor as Max dazedly wondered when her shoes had come off. She fumbled with the button on his jeans for a moment, before she heard a slight chuckle. Alec moved her hands and removed his pants himself, hissing as Max's hand found his hard length.

Max hadn't stepped out of her pants yet, so as Alec once again grabbed her ass, he put his foot on the denims and lifted her out of them. Max was already incredibly wet, her eyes half closed in anticipation.

She sobered instantly at Alec's crystal clear eyes. They stared at each other, neither blinking. Their eyes stayed locked into place even as Alec slid into her. Max's mouth opened in a silent moan as she watched Alec fight the urge to let his eyes roll into the back of his head.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the strange ritual broke. Alec buried his head into Max's neck as he pounded into her relentlessly. Max realized that she couldn't tell who was moaning now. She dug her nails into his back as she held on for dear life.

Alec shifted slightly to hold her with one hand, though his frenzied pace never slowed, and brought his free hand in between them. Max cried out as he found her clit and rubbed it vigorously. She could feel herself on the brink, ready to fall over.

She came with his name on her lips, and it was enough to make him increase his speed. His own release was near, and when he reached it he sank his teeth into the soft flesh at the base of her neck. The roar he released reverberated through her, and he came so hard, his teeth broak her sensitive skin. Max couldn't tell if she was moaning or screaming (she suspected it was a little of both), and somehow she didn't care.

Alec sank to his knees, satisfied in a way no Ordinary has ever been able to accomplish. He released Max's neck; licking the wound absently while she rested her head on his shoulder. She's still baring her neck to him, and there was something significant in that gesture that his muddied brain couldn't piece together yet.

Max noticed the clock on the wall and cursed quietly. The sound was only enough for Alec to pause briefly before resuming his ministrations.

"Our meeting with Logan, Mole, and Sketchy started five minutes ago," she stated softly. She practically _felt_ his hackles rise at the mention of Logan, and he stopped nursing her wound. He loosened his grip a fraction, giving her the option to get up without saying a word. If she decided to leave, he wouldn't stop her.

Sighing, she leaned back and looked him in the eye. "If we don't go, they'll just find us anyway." She got up to search for her discarded clothes. She felt him rise behind her, and wondered if she was always this hyper-aware of his movements.

XxXxXx

Alec didn't touch her once as they headed to her office, but Max didn't mind. He hadn't left her personal space since they had retrieved their clothes, and somehow that was more intimate than a hand at the small of her back. Her neck hurt like a bitch, and as she rubs it absently, she knows he's smiling. They reached headquarters without incident. Biggs arched an eyebrow at the strangely silent duo as they walked up the catwalk to Max's office.

It's a surprise to see Original Cindy crammed into the already small office with Mole, Sketchy and Logan. Alec had opened the door for her and closed it behind him. OC cocked an eyebrow at the unusually subdued pair, and then shook it off to give her Boos' some hugs. Max was wearing a content smile she hadn't seen on her Boo in a while, and the wheels start turning in her head at the implications.

Sketchy cleared his throat as if he were in charge of the meeting. He was here to get Mole's interview. Max and Alec were mediators to both sides; it was their jobs to approve what would be written down in the final article. Logan was there to advise Sketchy in the ways of the journalist.

Logan had found the cure to the virus shortly after the freak nation was formed, but Max had been so busy running the small city, that she hadn't had much time left in her schedule for Eyes Only. He came over to TC as much as was medically safe, but was usually forced to sit on the sidelines while she tried to manage the siege.

Every time Logan directed his speech to Max, she could see the tightening of Alec's fist out of the corner of her eye. And Logan, being very Max-centric, it hand happened a lot. Everyone had noticed their odd behavior on some level, though only OC had actually guessed what had happened. Max was far more subdued and the furthest from bitchy anyone had ever seen.

It had taken Alec a good ten minutes to revert back to his 'smart-alecky' self (Though OC noted he hadn't aimed a single sarcastic remark towards her Boo), and had yet to piss Max off. Mole chuckled behind his cigar; this had to be some hind of record.

Once the interview was over, everyone filed out to the main room of headquarters to catch up. Biggs called Alec over to look at some supply lists, and as he walked away Max can't help but feel the loss of his person tear through her soul. He shoots her a pained look, as if he shared the lonely feeling that just attacked her heart.

OC walked up to her, and with a pointed glance at Alec, raised an elegant eyebrow. "Does that mean what I think it means?" she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Max could only blink at her, her mouth slightly open. How did she do that?

OC got the answer from Max's face, squealed softly as she hugged her, and then ran off toward Alec. Max watched in bemusement as Alec glanced back at her, startled, before the sexy smirk that wins all women flashed into place. Max wonders how she never noticed that that smile makes her weak in the knees. OC squealed again and hugged Alec tightly, much to the amusement of a clueless Biggs.

"What's up with OC?'

Startled, Max turned around to see that Logan had somehow snuck up on her. She shrugged, a pleased smile on her face. "She's just getting her 'I told you so's' in," she said, and chuckled to herself. Well it _was_ true; OC had called this little twist in her relationship with Alec a long time ago. She took a moment to contemplate the words 'Alec' and 'relationship,' and found that she liked the sound of it.

An arm went around her waist, and she stiffened automatically. Logan was holding her. Her instincts, in overdrive since their 'activities' earlier, screamed at her to get away, scream at him, or kill him. She didn't know why, but it felt wrong. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks: she wanted Alec's touch, and Logan's was making her sick to her stomach.

A subsonic growl pierced the air and every single transgenic froze. Logan, oblivious to the danger, prattled on.

"Come over and let me make dinner for you tonight? I could cook lasagna." He said lazily.

Max chanced a look around the room. Every transgenic had their heads down, but their eyes were all on her. She craned her neck to look at Alec.

She couldn't decide if she liked the shiver that went down her spine as their eyes made contact.

Even OC and Sketchy knew something was up now. Max watched as OC slowly backed away from Alec. She could tell he was fighting to control his anger; Logan was touching what belonged to him.

Max stopped. Did she belong to him? She thought of their time in the gym – was that only two hours ago? Of the way their bodies blended together before they realized it. The anger is trapped behind his eyes, and there's a little bit of hurt there too. Max realized her decision had already been made.

"Logan," she said softly, "let go of me." It was meant both physically and metaphorically, but as she looked at him, she could tell he didn't understand the latter yet.

Logan pulled back slightly as he stood up straight. His hands were holding her back and her belly. "Huh?" he asked. "Is everything okay Max?" he stopped for a moment, and then smiled impishly at her. "Are you going into heat?" His arms moved to tighten around her waist.

Alec's growl suddenly became audible to the human ear and Logan jerked up to see him storm towards them. He had waited patiently for Max to decide; barely containing a hope that she would chose him over Logan's 'perfect love.' He had heard her refusal of Log-boy's advances (every transgenic in the room had), and he couldn't admit how relieved he felt at that moment. But then Logan's arms had _tightened_ around Max, and all semblance of control had gone out the proverbial window.

He saw Max tense as he stormed over, his rage palpable. Logan just looked at him curiously for a moment, before turning concerned eyes to Max. He then proceeded to try and prod an answer out of her while talking to her as if she were a five year-old.

Somewhere in Alec's mind, he noted Mole's observation that, "wheels apparently has no sense of self preservation."

Alec stopped short of Max's personal space, certain he would lose it if he shared it with another male. He could see the stress in Max's posture; she didn't like Logan touching her. Using that knowledge as a buffer to the madness that was trying to take over, Alec spoke through clenched teeth.

"Logan," he bit out, "Hands. Off." Logan looked at him briefly, confused as to why he should let his girlfriend go. Then his eyes widened.

"You want her because she's in heat," he said. He looked condescendingly at Alec, and shoved Max behind him dramatically. Despite the ominous circumstances, Max rolled her eyes. She shared a look with Alec, and the right side of his lips twitched. "You can't have her," Logan drawled on, oblivious. "She's going back to my apartment until her heat is over."

Alec's eyes instantly hardened. _That pompous, self-righteous…_

"Logan, I'm warning you," he said with as much control as he could muster, "Max doesn't want me to hurt you, but she knows I will if keep challenging me like this."

Max looked at the back of Logan's head. _He doesn't understand._ She was barely getting the gist of it right now, but following her instincts had gotten her this far. She knew she was supposed to stay out of mate challenges, but it wasn't really even a contest, was it?

Max looked at Alec, who nodded imperceptibly, and then blurred to his side. Once again in his own personal space, she fought the urge to collapse from relief as the comforting warmth surrounded her again. She saw Alec's shoulders relax a fraction.

Their two alphas reunited, the room breathed once more.

Logan squeaked. "Max! What are you doing? Come back with me." He moved to walk to them, only to find himself at the business end of Mole's shotgun. Challenge over, it was now okay to interfere.

"What kind of idiot are you?" mole asked incredulously, "can't you see they're mated?"

Max, secure in Alec's arms, smiled apologetically. "Sorry Logan," she said, "We kept avoiding it for so long, we finally snapped."


	2. Chpt 2: Acceptance

_A/N: Holy crap. I've received eight reviews for this story in under twenty-four hours. That just blows my mind. I didn't even know if anyone would read it. Since the story was intended to be a one-shot, it took me a while to organize my thoughts as to the direction that a multi-chaptered (I call them epics) plot would be for Alec and Max. I'm still solidifying this story's purpose, but I do know that Max definitely needs to be clued in to what her instincts are making her do. Suggestions would be appreciated as to what trouble I can get our dynamic duo into romantically. _

Chapter 2: Acceptance

Max sighed restlessly as she leaned back in her chair. Biggs had personally escorted Logan out of TC. He and Mole had taken point after Alec's little possessive display an hour ago, keeping Logan from getting too close to the new couple.

_Couple. _Max resisted the urge to hit her head onto the mountain of paperwork on her desk. After the initial shock had worn off, doubt had begun to grow within her. Why did she presume that she was something special to Alec? After all; wasn't he the biggest man-whore in TC anyways? She shouldn't assume that their little tryst that morning had meant anything to him. This was Alec: he probably hadn't gotten any in the last few days, and it had made him lower his standards.

Max wrinkled her nose at that. If he didn't care, what was with the growling and possessiveness? And what was with the way she'd been acting? Max was never submissive; in fact, she usually thrived on being dominant, especially to Alec. She didn't even like the guy most of the time, now she was mated to him. What did that mean?

"Maxie, you okay?"

She hadn't noticed the door to her office opening, or that someone had stepped inside, however some new awareness in the back of her mind had known that Alec had been getting closer to her. The knowledge that she had some sort of mental radar as to Alec's location was starting to seriously freak her out.

Max was pulled from her train of thought as Alec gently touched her shoulder. The contact relaxed her in both mind and body almost instantly. She looked up into concerned hazel eyes, her own brows furrowed in confusion.

"What's going on?" she asked a little harshly.

Alec let the callous tone roll off of him; he knew that Max's first defense was anger.

He hadn't been sure of whether or not Max knew what was happening to them. Max hadn't been around any other transgenics growing up, and it wasn't as if she had the time to idly chat with any of the residents of TC since her coronation as their 'fearless leader.'

"We're mated," he began.

"I know that!" Max snapped.

Alec sighed, scratching the back of his head. The noise of HQ beyond Max's door had hushed at her outburst. Max noticed as well, and she ducked her head, blushing. She didn't want transgenic ears listening in on the conversation. Alec, sensing her embarrassment, made a split-second decision.

"C'mon, TC won't fall apart if we take the day off." He tugged on Max's arm, standing her up.

"But I need to approve these supply lists," she protested distractedly. The contact of Alec's hand on her bare skin had sent a warm shock straight to her spine.

"Mole can do it," he said gently, leading her unresisting form to the door. She jerked her arm away, glaring at him.

"Don't talk to me like I'm some kind of idiot, Alec," she said testily. Alec only smirked in response; there was his Maxie.

"Well, unless you want HQ to hear all the sordid details," he said in a cocky tone, "I advise we go somewhere a little more private, like maybe your room,"

Max watched Alec lift his eyebrows suggestively, and she rolled her eyes. She walked confidently out of the door without a backwards glance, Alec hot on her heels. No one said a word to either transgenic as they left headquarters.

Alec knew Max's confidence was only skin deep; her Manticore mask had slipped on as soon as she was in public view. He felt privileged to know that she didn't consider him an outsider, and that she trusted him enough to drop that mask when they were alone.

xXx

They reached Max's small apartment without incident. Max didn't bother turning on the lights in the shuttered room, they could both see fine, anyways. She strolled into the living room and turned around, fully intending to continue their previous conversation. She squeaked when Alec picked her up suddenly, wrapping her legs around him and walking to the bedroom.

Instead of sitting Max on the edge of the bed, Alec fell forward slowly with Max still in his arms. She landed with her head on her pillows while Alec's rested on her soft breasts. He kept her legs wrapped around him, and Max's arms stayed around his neck.

Alec sighed in contentment as he was finally ale to touch his mate again after several hours. The strain of actively trying to avoid excessive PDA had grated on his nerves severely.

As Max's body relaxed into the mattress, she felt a drastic release of tension she had barely known she had been holding. Her body had adjusted to the new status more quickly than her mind, and she was finding her actions very confusing.

"What's happening to me," she said absently, unaware that she'd voiced her thought out loud. Her breath hitched as Alec's husky voice answered.

"I'm sorry this is so confusing," he said quietly, "I know your instincts are probably going haywire." He lifted his head from her breasts and turned to rest his chin between them. His eyes sparkled green in the semi darkness of the room. "We should adjust to the proximity issues in a few days, and I've heard that the whole mental radar becomes like second nature after a while," he smirked, "but I don't think you'll ever break the urge to touch me all of the time, Maxie."

Max snorted and slapped his arm. "Ass," she said playfully. "And don't call me Maxie."

Alec shrugged and rested his head once again on Max's breasts. "Whatever you say, Angel." Truth was he knew why that particular nickname was undesirable when coming out of his mouth: it was the nickname Ben had given her. Alec usually only used it to anger her when he needed to distract her from the angst of her everyday life.

Max's soft voice broke him out of his musings. "I understand the whole challenge thing. I mean, we've dealt with them in TC before," she said slowly, recalling her quick education when Alec had been forced to give her to keep her from breaking up a fight, "but I've never seen the transgenics that weren't involved react the way they did today. Some of them even looked scared."

Alec smiled as he nuzzled into her breasts. "Well, its not every day an Ordinary tries to usurp mated alphas."

"Alphas?" Max asked, confused.

"You're TC's fearless leader, and I'm your second in command," he explained. "Military hierarchy works a lot like pack law, if you think about it. We feed them, organize them, and keep them and their children safe; we're like the alpha male and female of a wolf pack."

Max considered this for a moment and then chuckled. Lifting his head, Alec gave her an enquiring look. She smiled, her chocolate eyes twinkling. "I guess I really am the queen bitch," she quipped lightly.

Alec grinned wolfishly, and then loosened Max's grip on his waist. He crawled up to her until their noses were almost touching, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "My queen bitch," he said huskily.

Max smiled for a moment before it slowly died. She lowered her eyes, turning her head to the side. Alec's eyes grew serious, and his brow furrowed in concern.

"Why me?" the tone was so quiet, Alec almost missed the small question.

He understood immediately. Alec had been with lots of women, both Ordinary and transgenic. That he would choose Max as his mate, consciously or subconsciously, was hard to believe.

Using his hands to support her upper and lower back, Alec brought Max with him as he sat up on his knees. With nowhere else to go, she buried her head in his shoulder, her legs straddling his waist (they'd been doing that a lot lately). Alec burrowed his nose into her hair and inhaled deeply, letting her scent wash over him.

Knowing it would only make matters worse, he abandoned the overconfident attitude that almost always pissed Max off. He made sure his voice was calm and non-threatening; for once in his life admitting that taking a page out of Roller-Boy's book was the wiser course of action (though he'd never admit it to anyone).

"I'm not going to lie to you Max," he said gently, "I didn't plan for this to happen, and I'd never even considered it before." He felt Max tense and barreled on, panicking slightly. "I can't really explain why I marked you; I mean you're not the first X-5 to submit to me." She started pulling away and he stoppped her. "It just felt _right_ Max; it's corny, but it's all I have." Alec pulled back and used his finger to force Max's head up. When her eyes met his, he continued. "I didn't know I'd been holding back. I didn't know I'd been fighting my instincts since the first night I met you." His thoughts floundered, and this time, it was Alec that looked away. "I can revoke my claim if you want me too," he admitted, grinding his teeth as he continued, "you could be with Logan in an hour."

Max's breath hitched. Did she want to go back to Logan? Her instincts had been telling her something about Alec all along, but was that it? "Alec," she began, "I don't even know if I love you," she paused as his grip on her waist tightened, "to be honest, I've never even thought about you like that before. I've fought my instincts for as long as I can remember; I don't know if this is right or not." She saw him grimace, and realized how much it hurt to cause him pain like this. As she watched him, Max realized that, like with the challenge with Logan earlier, she'd already made her choice.

Max leaned forward until she was cheek to cheek with Alec, her breath brushing against his ear. "I'll admit that something this abrupt is kind of scary," she whispers softly, "but OC always says not to ditch anything before I try it."

Alec pulled back in shock, before a devilish grin split his face. He pinned Max to the bed and maneuvered his head under her chin, gripping her exposed throat it gently. _Mine_, he thought, surprising himself with the amount of joy that came with that silent declaration.

Max made a wry face. "Just so you know: you cheat on me, or try to make me submit in public, and I'll kick your ass."

Alec chuckled as he released her throat, licking it gently. He trailed kisses up to the shell of her ear. "Always with my ass," he said huskily, causing a shiver to race down Max's spine. "You got a fetish, or something, Angel?"

Max's complaint turned into a moan as Alec began sucking on her neck. Neither noticed as the sun began to set.

_A/N: The logistics of this chapter were a nightmare to write. Yes: they had to sort out some issues. But neither Alec nor Max are very prone to chick flick, vulnerable moments where they share their feelings (I.E. I tried really hard to keep them in character), and they don't talk much when they do. And for the record, information chapters are a pain in the ass to keep interesting. So: tell me how I did!_


	3. Chpt 3: Leadership Skills

_A/N: You guys are awesome; I love reviews! Sorry I cut off the kinky stuff, I'll make it up to you by the end of this chapter, I promise. _

Leaning on her elbow, Max watched the rising sun bathe her mate in an angelic light. She stifled a snort; mated one day, and she was already turning into a sap. They'd made love for hours before collapsing into a deep sleep.

Max sighed; shark DNA was a bitch. She'd only gotten three hours of sleep before she'd been pulled back into the land of the living; fully awake but sore as hell. She allowed herself to smile softly at the man next to her.

Max hadn't had much sex outside of heat induced delirium, but damn; the boy really knew what he was doing.

Knowing that the restlessness would only get worse, she slowly extricated herself from Alec's grip. As his hand lost contact with her body, Alec inhaled quickly and raised his head, his eyes at half mast. "Whassit?" he slurred, still half asleep. His hair was sticking up in all directions. Max grinned at how cute he looked.

"Shower," she said softly, knowing he'd understand.

Alec smiled lazily. "Mmkay," he said, his head lolling back onto the pillow. As Max removed herself from the bed completely and stood up, Alec rolled over onto his stomach. He buried his face into Max's pillow and inhaled; hugging it tightly as if it were Max herself.

After watching him for a moment more, Max turned and walked gingerly into the bathroom.

xXx

Max sighed in bliss as the hot water cascaded down her naked body. She was sitting down with her arms wrapped around her drawn legs, and her head resting on her knees. She'd finished all the necessities; now it was time to relax until the hot water ran out.

Her head lifted as she heard a faint knocking on the front door of her apartment. She felt, rather than heard, Alec stir and move slowly to the door. The voices were too low for her to hear with the water running, but after a moment, she knew Alec was returning to the bedroom.

The water chose that moment to lose its warmth and Max sighed as she stood reluctantly. After turning off the water, she grabbed a towel and dried off. Wrapping the towel, around her damp body, she stepped out of the tub and walked into the bedroom.

Alec was mostly dressed. He had been in the process of putting on his socks. As Max entered he stopped, eyeing her up and down appreciatively. She gave him a wry smile as he visibly pulled himself together.

"Three battered X-6's found their way to the safe house in Sector 5 lat night," Alec explained. He pulled on his boots. "Apparently, they've just gotten back from a field trip to White's latest office."

Max's jaw twitched as Alec mentioned White, the permanent thorn in her side. "What are their conditions," she said, her voice betraying her barely controlled fury. Alec grimaced, knowing his answer would only fuel her temper. "One of them didn't make it to dawn," he said, all trace of emotion gone. "The other two would be dead if they were Ordinaries, but they should make it."

Max was halfway dressed before he'd finished his sentence. Five minutes later, they were out the door.

Alec knew better than to touch her right now. Max was practically fuming and comforting or not, physical contact would only leave him with a black eye. As they walked briskly to HQ, Alec wondered if the fact that she was stunningly hot when she was angry was the subconscious reason he pissed her off all of the time. He watched her barrel into Headquarters and smirked as even Mole jumped at her entrance. He stayed close to Max in an attempt to tame some of the fury that consumed her.

"When can the X-6's be transferred to Terminal City?" she barked. Her question had been shouted to the whole room as opposed to one specific person. Dix spoke up hesitantly.

"Nell just left in a van to go get them; she wanted to start treating their wounds on the way." Max nodded to him stiffly. Alec stepped up beside her.

"Mole," he called, "get two units on standby. As soon as we get a location, they'll deploy; White's base has been compromised, we need to get him before he moves again."

Mole nodded, "sure thing, princess," he drawled, his cigar wagging as he spoke.

Max shared a brief glance with Alec before turning on her heel and walking up the stairs to her office.

Alec strode over to Dix. Clamping the transgenic on the shoulder, he watched the monitors that showed all of the entrances to TC. "Let's give the safe house in Sector 5 a ring," he said casually, not taking his eyes from the monitor. "I'm betting Brass doubled up on his security in case White's tying to 'April Fools' us."

Mole smirked as he went to rouse his two unit leaders: those two should have shacked up sooner, they worked better this way.

xXx

Max didn't look up as Alec strode into her office without knocking and started talking without preamble.

"Both X-6's have been injected with a radioactive isotope, something Manticore used to use on high-risk missions. When something went wrong, they used the isotope to triangulate the soldier's location via satellite. I'm thinkin' Whitey's up to something, but until we figure it out, we can't bring them to TC."

Max leaned back in her chair, considering the information. "That means the safe house has been compromised. We need to tell them to bug out."

Alec leaned casually against the wall, his hazel eyes sparkling, "Done, though the two X-6's can't be moved. Brass and Nell are staying with them. Mole's sending some guards to help Brass watch the perimeter in case of attack."

Max nodded her head in silent approval. It was her job to deal with running the city; but Alec, excelling in subterfuge, had become the unofficial General of Terminal City. He was good at planning raids and missions (and the people that went on them). The problem with the units of TC was that most of their members had very limited contact with familiars, and didn't really know how to treat them in battle until face-to-face with one.

Noticing her distracted gaze, Alec cleared his throat. "Care to share with the class, Angel?" he asked casually. To his surprise, instead of getting angry, Max just sighed.

"I think we need to create a special team to deal with the familiars," she explained. "We need some people to be experts on the breeding cult, and White in particular. We're at a disadvantage when our units don't realize that Familiars are equal in strength and stamina until they go hand-to-hand with one."

Alec stared at Max for a moment. Where had that come from? Knowing Max, she'd been considering the logistics of it since she'd closed herself in her office. He shrugged at her. "It's a good idea," he admitted, "You have anyone specific in mind?" He almost laughed as Max scrunched up her nose in concentration.

"Someone we trust," she concluded eventually. "We'd be spending a lot of time with these people; I need to know they're going to listen to me." Alec nodded in understanding. Max's command of TC had been tentative in the beginning, most of the transgenics hadn't wanted a 'cowardly '09-er' as their CO. Backing her wholeheartedly, Alec had managed to sway the general opinion of Max (and it helped that she was doing a great job leading them so far), but some still disapproved of her. They'd need the person leading the team to trust Max and him explicitly.

Alec grinned at her suddenly before pushing himself off of the wall to the door. Opening it, he stuck his head out into HQ.

"Biggs!" Alec roared, before walking back to Max's desk with his full smirk in place. Max arched a brow at his child-like enthusiasm.

Biggs walked in a minute later. "You bellowed, my lord," he asked dryly.

Alec ignored the sarcasm. "How many of our old unit-mates made it back to TC?" There was a hint of mischief in his voice, something that Biggs didn't miss. He considered for a moment.

"Including us? Seven, I think," he said thoughtfully. "Half of us were out on missions when Renfro decided to channel her inner pyro, and 716 and 824 didn't make it past the satellite beacon."

The comment was made softly, but Max could detect no emotion coming from Biggs' tone. His Manticore mask was obviously firmly in place. She saw the muscles in Alec's neck pulse, the only indication that he felt anything at that information.

Max suppressed a sigh. Though Alec showed no outward sign of pain, she could _feel _it through the connection they shared. She would have to help him deal with the new information later; people needed to mourn.

After a moment of silence, Alec continued. "We're putting a special welcoming committee together to handle our 'meetings' with the Familiars. Max thinks we need some people to become experts in how they work. I agree, and I think our old unit is perfect for the job."

Biggs raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll pull them together."

Alec nodded. "We'll meet in Conference Room B at 0800 tomorrow morning." He turned and walked behind Max's desk so that he was standing behind her chair.

Biggs recognized the obvious dismissal. He gave them a mock salute. "See ya tomorrow," he drawled casually, then turned around and left.

Stretching, Alec yawned and then leaned over the back of Max's chair. "Well," he said casually, his moth making its way to her ear "now that business has been taken care of, I think its time for the boss-lady to take a break." the last few words were whispered roughly as his voice deepened.

Max sighed heavily. "Alec, I can't," she started, her voice laced with regret, "I've still got to go through those supply lists, and now with White messing with us, I don't have time…to……ah, relax……mmm…"

Alec's right hand had made a stealthy trail down Max's body, finally reaching between her thighs to cup her heat firmly. His slowly rubbed his hand against her skin-tight jeans, knowing for a fact that she had no underwear on. The motions had quickly caused Max's brain to shut down, her only comprehension was of the movements of his hand.

Burying his face in Max's neck, Alec brought his other hand to the bottom of her shirt. He smiled into her neck as she gasped when he touched her bare skin. His hand trailed its way up to her breast, sliding under her bra and massaging a soft mound. Max moaned softly at the contact, leaning into his touch.

Alec started to rub harder against her confined clit.

"Alec," she breathed protesting weakly, "Stop… I need to…the lists…ah…stop."

"No," Alec whispered huskily into her ear. Max's back arched as the word shot like electricity down her spine. She started to squirm as the contact with her core became more heated.

Max fell over the edge as she came hard, her cry muffled by Alec's kiss. They stayed like that for a moment as Max caught her breath.

Alec removed his hands and readjusted Max's clothing. He straightened before walking around the desk to face his mate.

Alec smirked at the glazed look in Max's eyes. He leaned over the desk casually, catching her attention. "Well now," he said nonchalantly, "now that you've had your break, I'll leave you to your lists." He stood, resting his hands in his pockets.

Max, finally regaining her senses, glared at him playfully. "Ass."

"Geeze Angel," Alec replied, "we're going to have to come to terms with that fetish you have with my ass." He winked, and turned to go, "Just make sure you take your breaks more seriously from now on," he called over his shoulder, before disappearing through the door.

_A/N: I couldn't help that first scene of our favorite couple, it was just too cute picturing Alec sleep mussed, and slurring in his speech. _

_Hmm, I wonder if anyone heard Max and Alec's little escapade. We already learned in chapter 2 that anyone in HQ could hear loud noises from Max's office, so I wonder. Please Review! _


	4. Chpt 4: Popularity Contest

_A/N: I'm Ba-ack! This chapter is kind of short, but no worries._

Alec sighed as he turned off the ignition and dismounted from his bike. It had taken a while to convince Max to let him debrief the two X-6's himself, but with the anxiety he was feeling from being separated from her, he almost wished she hadn't relented. The sun was just beginning to set when he reached the doors to the sector five safe house.

Brass opened the door before he could knock, his expression tense. Alec was immediately on high alert.

"There's something wrong with those kids," he said, moving to lead his SIC into the house.

"What are they doing?" Alec asked as he followed Brass down a hallway. Brass stopped at a door and turned to Alec, pulling a hand through his long, auburn hair. Two guards stood on either side of the door.

"That's just it," he stated tiredly, "they're not doing anything. It's like some sort of shell shock. They haven't said a word since they woke up, and won't move or _do_ anything but stare straight ahead."

Small warning bells went off in Alec's head. Something told him this wasn't good. "Well why don't I go see them. If I can't make them react, then they've got to be brain dead," he said, giving Brass a wry smile. Brass smirked, despite the stressful situation, and opened the door.

The room was sparse, containing two beds and a small desk in the far corner. Alec gave the two teenagers sitting up in the bed a visual once-over, before nodding to Nell – who was sitting at the desk.

Nell leaned back in her chair as she addressed her SIC. "They've healed up most of the minor wounds already, and the major ones aren't too bad," she stated. Alec nodded and turned to one of the kids.

The young X-6's short hair was matted with dirt and blood. He had several scrapes across his dirty face. Alec suppressed a shudder as he looked into hollow eyes, a trait that both X-6's shared. He went down on his haunches so that he could look the kid in the eye. The kid just stared off into space at a point above Alec's right shoulder.

"Hi," Alec greeted unconcernedly, though his insides were twisted for reasons he couldn't explain. "Welcome to the Trannie Underground." He heard Nell snort. "My name is Alec, and I'll be your host this evening-"

"494?"

The X-6 he had been addressing had snapped his attention to Alec the moment he'd introduced himself. Out of the corner of his eye, Alec noted that the other one was also giving him his attention. Alec shrugged at the two teens. "Used to be," he said nonchalantly, "but now I only go by Alec."

"Or 'smart ass,'" Brass mumbled behind him. Alec turned to give Brass a smirk.

"Only when Max calls me–"

"_ALEC!_"

At Nell's shout of panic, Alec whirled around. A cloud started to fill the room. His eyes locked onto the X-6 as his vision went blurry. The last thing he thought before darkness enveloped him was that Max was going to kill him for being late coming home.

xXx

Max paced back and forth across her small office, her boots eliciting a sharp staccato at every step. _Damn him._ Alec was supposed to be back two hours ago. He hadn't checked in, and the safe house wasn't answering the phone. The next time she saw Alec, she was going to kill the jerk.

"Max! Phone!" Mole barked from the main room. Max turned and flung the door open, almost tearing it off its hinges. She stormed over to the catwalk and jumped over (the stairs were a waste of time anyway), mumbling to herself the whole time.

"He better have one hell of an excuse, or I'm gonna kick-"

"It isn't Alec," Dix spoke up timidly, risking the wrath of his CO, "it's Nell."

Something hard wedged its way into Max's heart. "Put it on speaker," she said softly, barely noticing that Biggs had walked up beside her.

Mole shifted. "Max, you might want to – "

"I said put. It. On. Speaker!" she barked loudly. Dix jumped, spinning around quickly in his chair and punching the button before turning to look at Max warily. "Nell!" she snapped. Max instantly regretted her tone as Nell's weak voice filled the speakers.

"Max?" Nell said slowly. "Max, I'm so sorry, I didn't find anything on them. Then when I saw what they were doing, I tried to warn him –"

"Nell, calm down," Biggs said, stepping towards the console. "Tell us what happened."

They heard Nell take a shuddering breath. "The patients weren't responding to us, even though they were conscious," she started. "When Alec came in and introduced himself, they reacted to him, asked him if he was 494."

"Princess always was a popular one," Mole mumbled, but his tone was cold.

Nell groaned into the receiver. "I was the only one that saw the can of knockout gas," she said speaking quickly, "I tried to warn Alec, but it was too late. I woke up a few minutes ago."

Max suddenly felt empty. She spun on her heel and walked brokenly to the stairs. She'd already put the pieces together, but her steps still faltered at Nell's next words.

"Both X-6's are gone." There was a shaky breath and a pregnant pause. "We can't find Alec either, I think they took him."

Max's office door slammed shut, she wood splintering with the force.

xXx

Alec groaned. "Did some one get the number of that sky scraper," he mumbled. He attempted to grab his throbbing head, only to find his wrists bound. Alec felt the cold steel against his wrists and knew he had been handcuffed. Images of the events at the safe house came back to him quickly.

Eyes snapping open, Alec observed his surroundings.

He was laying face down in a cage, which was suspended from a warehouse ceiling. Alec felt the pit of his stomach drop as memories from the last time he had visited a hanging prison flooded his thoughts.

"Great," he muttered "Max is gonna kill me." He wished, at that moment, that he had stayed in TC.

"I'm afraid the only one that will be doing any killing is me, 494." A man crossed his arms as he looked over at the helpless transgenic. "Oh, and don't worry, you won't be by yourself for long" he smirked, "452 should be joining this little party shortly."

Alec felt rage boil within him as he looked into the triumphant face of Ames White.

_A/N: Ducks head as keyboards come flying at her Yeah, I know, giving Alec to White is kind of harsh, but trust me, I'm going somewhere with this. _

_I wish they had some kind of anti-writer's block pill, 'cause I would definitely own stock in it. More updates should be ready shortly (I promise, I'm working on it right now). Please Review!!_


	5. Chpt 5: Team Effort

Emerald green eyes opened sluggishly

_A/N: Back by popular demand! Sorry it took so long, my muse was kidnapped. No yummy scenes in this one, oh well. _

_Writing the Max-Logan confrontation proved to be extremely difficult (And by some miracle, I managed to put it off until the next chapter), but I think it will be okay. I'm writing these next few chapters together, so (barring the end of the world) look for a new installment tomorrow. Toodles!_

Emerald green eyes opened sluggishly. It had taken Ariel a while to register that the bass drum banging rhythmically in her head was actually coming from her front door. Grudgingly, she lifted herself from her worn bed and shuffled to the entrance.

X5-224 had been named after some fish from an old Disney movie by her unit-mate Rose. Her log red hair and green eyes had been likened to the fictitious character. It had been a joke a first, but the name had stuck. Biggs had made a comment one day about them having the same long red hair that he kept wanting to run his fingers through.

She'd promptly cut it.

Her choppy shoulder-length hair swayed slightly as she flung the door open. Biggs, hand paused mid-knock, blinked once before recovering. As his mouth settled into a grim line, Ariel felt her hackles rise. She knew that look. Over twenty years in the same unit, and Biggs only sported that particular frown when things had gone totally and completely apeshit.

"Conference room B, ten minutes," he clipped out, before turning on his heel and marching down the hall.

He hadn't hit on her once.

Oh. Shit.

xXx

Biggs looked at the drawn faces of his unit-mates. The only one who seemed unaffected by the abduction of their former C.O. was Ares, but he wasn't surprised. The day he saw Ares with a facial expression was the day Mole wore a tutu.

Sai, of course, spoke up first.

"Can we hack into the same satellites they used to track the X6's?" he asked. Sai was their unit's tactician and resident brainiac. He rarely spoke outside of missions, a side effect of overbearing handlers at Manticore.

Beside Biggs, Mole spoke.

"Take too long. Not only would we have to find out which satellite they were using, then there's hacking into it, _and_ finding those brats. White's not known for being patient; Princess could be dead by then."

Biggs felt Max stiffen to his left, but she remained silent. She hadn't moved from her relaxed position in that chair since she the beginning of the meeting. He ground his teeth. Max's uncharacteristically subdued attitude wouldn't score her any brownie points with his unit.

"What about the Ordinary?"

Chase snorted at Rose's question. "What about him? That guy's got the American flag shoved so far up his ass, I'm surprised he can still walk."

Mole snickered.

Rose narrowed her eyes at the burly young man. She turned to Biggs, looking at him thoughtfully. "Doesn't he use satellites to do that Eyes Only stuff? He might know which ones are over Seattle right now _and_ how to get into them. It could save us a lot of time."

"Even if he could," Mole stated gruffly, "the Ordinary might not choose to help us after that little show yesterday."

"I'll go," Max spoke up suddenly, some of the fire back in her eyes. "He'll give me the information we need."

Chase gave Biggs a condescending look. "Of course the '09-er would go running back to that Ordinary the minute her Mate was gone." He leveled the look at her, his tone mocking. "What's the matter Maxie? Our Alpha not enough for you, so you have to go back to that scruffy Ordinary do-gooder?"

Max had lunged across the table before Biggs could blink, let alone restrain her. His eyes widened in shock.

Max had spent so much time on the outside that her mannerisms mimicked the norms perfectly. The way she walked and acted often caused the other transgenics to underestimate her, a mistake Chase was currently paying dearly for. Max didn't fight fair.

Max had slammed him into the far wall, her knee heavily imbedded into his groin. She'd already broken his nose, and was pulling on his scruffy brown hair making him expose his throat to the knife Biggs hadn't known she'd been armed with.

Mole's jaw dropped, cigar falling forgotten to the floor.

"Listen to me you little shit," Max hissed through clenched teeth, "I will get Alex out of this. I've done it before, I'll do it again. And if Logan is the fastest way to get to him, so be it." she loosened her hold on his hair only to tighten it again moments later. "And the next person to call me Maxie," she said loudly, addressing the entire room, "loses whichever head I feel like cutting off first." That said she released a very stunned Chase and turned on her heel, heading for the door. Upon reaching it, she stopped and turned to them.

"Sai, prep a van from the motor pool, you'll be our ears. Mole: gear them up, but I want you to stay here and run TC. Who's my sniper?"

Ariel stood swiftly, years of training forcing her movement. Max's eyes softened a fraction when Ariel cursed her reflexes. "You'll watch our asses from outside; we'll pick the location when we get there. Munitions?"

Rose leaned back in her chair. "That would be me," she said casually, "What do you need?"

Max's eyes hardened. "I want enough fireworks to knock down the entire base. I'm not leaving behind any equipment White can use on my people later." Rose nodded at her, smirking.

Max's eyes roamed over Ares. "You're my Tank, right?" she asked curtly, to which Ares replied with a stiff nod. "Good. When we go in, stay on my six. While everyone else greets the welcome wagon, you and I will retrieve the smart ass."

Max turned to face Biggs and he felt his spine straighten under her scrutiny. "I want everyone ready to go in fifteen, any more is burning daylight. Once we get the X-6's location, we'll head out from Joshua's old house." She turned to the room. "Questions?"

A few seconds of shocked silence was interrupted by a timid voice. "We're _all_ going to see Logan?" Sai asked slowly, curiosity overriding his fear. He jumped when Max turned her piercing gaze on him.

"I want to get going the moment we have the information," she explained, "this way is more efficient."

_It's also a good excuse to stay off of the topic of yesterday with Logan, _Biggs thought wryly.

"Any more questions," silence. "No? Good. We meet in fifteen in the motor pool. Dismissed."

xXx

He knew she'd come back, it was only a matter of time. Once her heat was over, she'd drop Alec as if she'd been burned and come running back to him. Oh, it would take a couple of days for her to build p the courage – a week tops – but she'd be back. She always came back.

Just not this soon.

"Logan, I need some information."

Logan had jumped at the sound of his name from the voice of his favorite X-5. He had been sitting at his computer (A/N: surprise, surprise) drinking one of his favorite pre-Pulse merlot's and reading up on the happenings of the anti-transgenics' favorite senator when she'd spoken. Now, with his last good wine glass shattered on the floor and the blood-red wine seeping into the carpet, he looked up at the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, half expecting her to be in tears.

He found nothing. No trace of remorse or guilt lay within her chocolate eyes. He'd seen other transgenics with their 'masks' on, but Max had never been able to block off that certain amount of tenderness she always held for him; her eyes would soften and her voice would momentarily loose that edge that she spoke to everyone else with.

The X-5 that stood before him now was as closed off as he thief who had tried to steal a Bast statue from him several years ago.

A sense of dread filled Logan before he squashed it down ruthlessly. There was a situation at TC – there had to be – forcing her to come face-to-face with him before she was ready. She was steeling herself to be as business-like as possible, for the sake of the nation she now ran. He could do the same.

He gave her a semi-sweet smile before replying to her abrupt demand.

"What kind of information?"

She seemed to release a breath she'd been holding. "We need to know which satellites are over Seattle right now –"

"We?"

She'd jumped slightly at his interruption, and he noticed the shadow behind her for the first time. Guilt seeped into her eyes.

It surprised him when the transgenic that stepped into the light was not Alec; Biggs instead loomed behind her, his expression blank. Figuring she couldn't stand the sight of her SIC at the moment, Logan shrugged it off.

Biggs watched his CO interact with the ordinary. He'd flat-out refused to let her confront Eyes Only alone. If anything, she needed him there to keep the conversation on track. She'd glared at him but relented – the fight would have taken too long.

He wasn't regretting his decision; Logan had looked like he wanted to have along, drawn out discussion with her before he'd spotted Biggs.

Eyes Only shrugged and turned in his chair to begin rapidly typing at the keyboard. "Sure," he said, "I can have it to you in a couple of days –"

"No Logan, we need them _now."_

Biggs heard the urgency in her voice, and immediately knew where she stood. His unit hadn't been too fond of the woman who'd collard their CO (_before_ they'd mated), and this scene could make or break their 'acceptance.' He smiled inwardly before discreetly tapping his earcom.

xXxXxXx

"Can you believe that bitch? She totally overreacted."

Ariel snorted. "Yeah Chase," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "you only challenged her leadership _and _her new relationship. What was she thinking?"

The two transgenics were standing casually at the back of the open van that Ares and Sai were in. Rose, sitting on the bumper, looked up from the detonator she was building to raise an eyebrow. "Mate bonds are strong, you idiot. I'm surprised you got away with your balls still intact. We may have all been thinking the same thing, but at least we were smart enough to keep our mouths _shut_."

Chase growled in frustration. "Oh, come on. It's not like she-"

Sai's head popped out of the van above Rose. "Guys, you gotta hear this!" At their confused expressions, he elaborated. "Biggs turned his comm on, we can hear what's going on inside!"

The three transgenics looked at each other for a moment, before rushing into the van, tripping over each other in the process.


	6. Chpt 6: Communication Issues

Logan frowned as he registered the urgency in her voice

Logan frowned as he registered the urgency in her voice. "What happened," he asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. His fingers never faltered in their typing.

Max cringed slightly. "It looks like White found a Manticore garage sale. We think he used the laser on some X6's, then shot them up with some isotope and set them loose. The isotope helps him track them from a satellite." She paused for a moment before making a snap decision. "The X6's used a can of knockout gas and abducted an X5 from one of our safe houses four hours ago. We need to find him."

Logan nodded absentmindedly, completely missing her slip at the end, and the slightly desperate tone of her voice.

Biggs noted her omission with acceptance. Not mentioning Alec's name was probably for the best, even if it did feel a little bit like hiding. The Ordinary would probably have a hissy fit if he knew the only reason Max was here was to save his rival's ass (again).

"So you need to know which satellite he used so that you can use the isotope and track them down," he surmised. "Those safe houses have at least five people in them at all times. Why'd they only take one X5, was he important? It sounds too calculated to be random."

Seeing Max's look of panic, Biggs stepped up. "We don't know for sure. White always has something up his sleeve, which is why we need to get there before he can reindoctrinate the X5." There. All of the information besides Alec's name. He caught Max's look of gratitude and flashed her a smirk.

"Yeah, but why was the X5 important?" Logan's brow furrowed. "this was obviously very carefully planned out. What does the X5 do at TC? Maybe we'll find an answer in his occupation."

Max shifted uncomfortably, before sighing. It was going to be the hard way after all. She closed her eyes, as if doing so would lessen the argument ahead. "He's the SIC," she said softly.

She heard the repetative typing falter and cease as Logan put two and two together. She heard his chair swivel around and opened her eyes to meet Logan's incredulous stare.

"Alec?!" Logan snorted. "That's who we're trying to save? _Again_? What does he do, walk around screaming 'somebody lock me up!'"

Biggs saw Max flinch at the harsh words, and had to tramp down the rage that had come boiling up. Who did this Ordinary think he was?

Logan sobered a little before giving Max an indulgent smile. "How many times do you have to save him, Max? White obviously set this trap for you, and you're going to walk right into it to save someone who can't even save themselves." He stood and walked towards her, setting his hands on her shoulders. "You're too important to be risking your life all of the time, especially for that womanizing manwhore. Go back to TC and lead your people. I'll call you in a couple of days when I get the information, okay?" He stared into Max's blank eyes, confident in himself as she smiled softly at him.

"A couple of days?" she asked softly, placing her hands on Logan's wrists. Logan nodded.

"Yeah, I'll call you – ahh!" Max's hands had clamped down his wrists with bruising force, her face twisted into righteous fury. She twisted his wrists up and he fell to his knees.

Max saw Biggs move out of the corner of his eye. She leveled a glare at him, stopping him in his tracks. The message was clear: Stay. Out. Of. It. He held his hands up in surrender.

Looking back to Logan, a little bit of her rage left her as she realized she was hurting him. Ordinaries were so fragile. She released his wrists, watching him slide fully to the ground.

"Alec has risked his life for Eyes Only countless times, and you want to just sit back and let him be tortured?" She placed her hands on her hips, all attitude. "Alec has proven himself to be a good fighter, a great friend, and an excellent leader. I couldn't run TC without him, and frankly I don't want to."

Logan's head snapped up to look at her. "Is this about what happened the other day? Max, you were in heat! You don't have to attach yourself to Alec just because your hormones tell you to. Alec's a womanizer, Max. You'll be just another notch on his bedpost by next week, if that." He laughed. "Alec doesn't care about you, Max. He only cares about himself."

Biggs took a step back, certain that the gates of Hell were about to open up. Max didn't disappoint.

"For the last fucking time, I wasn't in heat!" She picked the Ordinary up, before slamming him against the wall. "We," she said, indicating her and Logan, "are over. This never really was a relationship, anyways. Alec and I are mated, end of story. I-" She paused as the shock of the realization hit. "I love him. Deal with it and move on." She released a shocked Logan and backed up a step before turning to Biggs. "This is taking too long," she said more to herself than to him. Max tapped the comm in her ear twice.

"Sai," she barked, hearing a yelp and a crash on the line, "Get in here and get the information from the EO database. Now."

Seconds later, Sai came stumbling into the house, the rest of the team hot on his heels. Chase stared at the Ordinary still frozen by the wall. He whistled before walking up to Max. "I think I misjudged you," he said, humor in his voice, "You've got balls."

Max snorted before hitting him upside the head.

Logan snapped out of his daze when Sai sat down at his computer. "Hey," he said, making Sai jump up, scared, "get away from my-" his indignation, however, was put to a halt when the business end of a .45 was placed squarely between his eyes. Ares' stony gaze met his and he gulped. "Max!" he shouted, certain that she would save him.

Max looked over to see a frightened Logan being held up by a very bored looking Ares, and had to fight the urge to laugh. "Relax Logan, we'll get what we need and leave. Ares is just making sure you don't get in the way." At Logan's bug-eyed look, a snort of laughter did escape before she tuned away.

xXxXxXx

"Got it!" Sai said twenty minutes later. Max stopped her pacing, twirled around and moved over so that she could see over his shoulder.

"Talk to me."

"Sector 12, warehouse district," he said, pointing to a warehouse on the screen. Two glowing dots could be seen through the building. Max looked at it, her brows narrowed in concentration. Something was off.

"This is too simple." Biggs stated behind her. "White's plans are always complicated. 'Snatch Alec and reindoctrinate him to get to you?' It's kind of elementary don't you think?"

Max turned to him. "I was thinking the same thing. What are we missing?"

Chase snorted, "You mean besides the fact that this is a trap?"

"If White's using old Manticore equipment, it'll take a lot of power, won't it?" mused Rose thoughtfully.

Max started. "Sai-"

"Already on it," he said, his fingers blurring across the keys.

Five minutes later, Sai leaned back. "That warehouse is using up absolutely zero ounces of power."

"Dammit!" Max screamed, slamming her fist into the nearest wall. The drywall gave way like it was paper. The whole room jumped at her outburst.

"B-but wait," Sai stuttered, shaken by her outburst, "There's a storage facility across the street that's using up three times ore power than normal." He typed for a few seconds before continuing. "Records say the appetite is new, though, only about two months." He startled when Max put her hands on his shoulders and kissed his head.

"Alright" she said, the hard determination in her voice contrasting the huge smile on her face. "Let's go get him."


	7. Chpt 7: Search and Destroy

_A/N: Alright, so a couple of days ago, I got, like five emails all begging me to continue this story. Well, all I can say is …_

_Peek-a-BOO!_

The red laser seared into his eye, and Alec muffled a scream.

"Come on 494," White mocked beside him. "Your file said you've been through this before. Twice, actually. You should be an old hand at this."

White flicked a switch, and the red beam flickered a moment before disappearing completely. Alec panted heavily, too tired to hide his pain.

But apparently not too tired to keep his mouth shut. "You've got my file," he wheezed, "are you really stupid enough to think that something that failed to brainwash me twice is going to work now?"

White threw his head back as he laughed, the harsh sound filling the room. "This device may have failed at reindoctrination," White said gleefully, "but its doing a wonderful job as a torture device, don't you think? What was the longest you've ever been hooked up to this 494, three hours?"

If Alec's eyes could have widened, they would have. Shit. There was no way out of this. Alec groaned to himself. Looks like he would have to recede. He hated doing this; it always left him disoriented for days afterwards. Steeling himself Alec silently thanked Manticore for its counter interrogation teachings.

He remembered the day his unit had gone to their first counter interrogation class. Their handler had shown them the theory; explaining the way they could lock themselves safely away in their minds. Two hours into the lecture, the classroom doors had burst open. There had been a handler for each of them. his whole unit had been dragged to the basement and tortured until they'd successfully regressed. It'd taken Alec 36 hours to get the regression down; half the time of the rest of his unit (he'd suspected that his success had something to do with his – then – one previous trip to PsyOps).

Exhaling slowly, he formed a metal box in his mind, its lid open. Alec focused on making it stronger. He needed it to be impenetrable. Receding was tricky; there was no telling when he would get out of his mind. It could take a day or a month. Two of the X-series never woke up from the training day.

He let his mind's eye be sucked into the box, dully noting that the laser was on again. Alec felt himself go numb; the view from his open eyes faded to grey and then black.. Using the last of his fading mental strength, he watched as the lid slowly closed.

White barely heard the words of his captor before 494's body went completely limp.

"…S'rry…Angel…"

xXxXxXx

Something in Max's chest constricted – _hard_, causing her to stop and grasp her chest. The distant buzzing that told her that her mate was still alive gave her reassurance, but somehow, she felt hollow.

"Max, you okay?" Rose asked, all bubblegum innocence. The effect, however, was ruined by the multiple detonators she was stuffing into her many pockets.

Max steeled herself, mentally shaking it off. "Yeah I'm fine."

They'd just reached the perimeter of the two buildings. Ariel had already picked a roof to watch from, and was currently climbing up a drainpipe. Biggs watched her climb, groaning mentally as her ass swayed back and forth. A hand smacked the back of his head, breaking his concentration. "Dude, pine away later," Chase said, "keep your head in the game."

xXx

"Do _all_ warehouses smell like mould?" Chase grumbled under his breath. Biggs snorted softly behind him. They'd entered the warehouse through one of the big, secondary windows. The two X-5's jumped down to the first floor, staying in the shadows.

It had been Bigg's idea to retrieve the two X-6's. Those kids were too dangerous to be left as White's puppets. Besides, Biggs had argued, what better diversion than actually walking into the trap the familiars had set up?

The kids were standing in the middle of the room, too far gone to do anything but what they'd been ordered to do. Biggs really hoped Lava, one of their resident Psyonics, could undo all of the damage to their minds.

Chase was kneeling on the floor, his back to the room. He stood, giving Biggs a thumbs-up. Biggs nodded, and motioned for Chase to stay there. Quietly, he blurred around the big boxes to the other side of the room. A clinking noise was heard, ever so soft, but loud enough for two transgenic heads to snap to the direction Biggs had disappeared to.

Said transgenic rounded the corner a few seconds later, walking towards the middle of the open space.

"Ladies," he drawled casually, "May I have this dance?"

The two X-6's lunged.

xXx

"DAMMIT," White bellowed. He grabbed the nearest technician by the front of the shirt and flung him towards the still body strapped down on the table. "Wake him up, damn you! Do it NOW!"

"I'm sorry, sir." One of the techs mumbled nervously. "We've tried everything. 494's vitals are strong, but he hasn't responded to any pain or stimulant we've given him.

White turned momentarily distracted by two of his men coming into the room.

"What?" he said, the threat obvious in his voice.

The familiar in front of him was unfazed. "Sir, we have activity in the warehouse. The decoys have engaged two unidentified X-5's."

White let that information sink in. "Well," he said, all trace of anger gone, "At least I'm going to get something out of this whole disaster." He motioned for the two men to follow him as he moved swiftly out the door.

xXx

Max peeked around a crate before motioning for Ares and Rose to follow her and running down the hall. She'd been surprised to notice that even with his massive bulk, Ares was utterly silent as they made their way through the storage facility. He crouched behind her now, the pistol in his hands at the ready.

While Max only carried a few knives, Ares seemed to be ready for a small war. The pistol he had now had a silencer on it so they could move through the facility without attracting attention. He also carried a semi automatic slung on his back and some knives strapped to his ankle. Max suspected he had more on him, but there was no telling exactly how many weapons were currently on his person.

When it came to weapons however, Rose, was in a different class entirely. While she only sported a single .32, Max knew that the twenty or so pockets on Rose's clothing currently sported enough C4 to blow an entire city block.

Max ducked behind a corner automatically at the sharp staccato of shoes hitting the ground. Someone was about to walk down this hallway. The sound stopped after a moment, causing the silence to deafen her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ares move to take the point position. He glanced around the bend quickly before turning back to look at her.

'_Two hostiles, standing guard on either side of the hall_,' he signed. '_Orders?'_

Max sighed mentally before giving the order. These guys were familiars, and a threat to her people and her mate.

'_Terminate.'_

Ares nodded, cocked his gun, and rounded the corner. There was a soft _ping, ping_ noise before he turned back to her and gave her a thumbs up sign. She nodded and rounded the corner ahead of him before taking off down the hall.

The corridor ended in a T; two identical hallways moving off in opposite directions. _Damnit,_ Max swore internally. She didn't want to break radio silence unless absolutely necessary. Calling in to get directions from Sai might tip off White and his cronies.

The faint buzzing in the back of Max's head tugged a little to the left. Max paused before deciding.

_Good enough._

She turned to Rose. _'Go right.'_

Rose gave a thumbs up and raced down the right hall. Max watched her for a second, glanced at Ares, and took off in the opposite direction.

_Please be okay, my Smart Alec._


End file.
